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"A Family Tradition for 128 Years" Wednesday, August 9, 1995 - 7 Ce E ITE R S from our readers Is technology creating lost children? To the Editor: I admire and support the re- search into reproductive tech- niques, as long as the end result 1s a child who knows who both his or her parents are. The sperm bank which uses donor sperm to impregnant is I be- lieve something that no one in that industry, or it's users have thought through. I am a volunteer like many others with Parent Finders. We all meet (daily) adult adoptees who don't know who they really are. They have perhaps wonder- ful adoptive parents and have been cherished all their lives, but they still long to actually know who they are. Someone conceived with an anonymous and calculated act can never, ever find out anything about their birth father and his fami- ly. The birth mother who desper- ately wanted a child has re- ceived her wish, but when her child is an adult, what can she say about the other parent (without totally fabricating). Medical, school, insurance forms always have to be filled in having to write the answer "I don't know" is an empty feeling. I know there are others who can see the end result here too. So throw your support in, and call or write to your M.P.P. and Health Minister Diane Marleau and explain your feelings. Sperm banks used to preserve seed from a loving husband, who is perhaps dying or will not be fertile after awhile are a ter- rific idea. For any other reason except for research it is a very selfish act. Jan. M. Sullivan, Ajax Thanks to local vet To the Editor: During the last two weeks of July, we were visited by Matias, the 17 year old son of a chap with whom I went to school. Matias lives on a large dairy farm and, one day, hopes to be a vet. He had come to Canada to visit dairy operations, and when he came to us, we were wonder- ing what we could do to make his visit interesting. We phoned Gerry Black- burn, of Port Perry Vet Ser- vices, and asked him if he would mind taking Matias with him on his rounds for a couple of days. They turned out to be some of the best days of his visit. Gerry, our heartfelt thanks to you, the doctors at your clinic and to the staff. Matias is a quiet young man, at times struggling with his command of the English lan- guage, however, the time and effort you put in were much appreciated -- he en- joyed his days with you enor- mously! The Pring family KELLY LOWN/PORT PERRY STAR Air Bands at YMCA Children at the YMCA posed as their favorite rock groups last week as they held an air band competition. "Editor's Notepad by Jeff Mitchell ANOTHER DAY ON THE ROADWAY CLOSE, BUT NO ROAD KILL: There has been a lot of talk around the province's water coolers in the past week after the formation of an elite traffic squad by the Ontario Provincial Police. Designed to replace the photo radar weasels who haye had us in the sights over the past several months, this group of coppers have been dispatched with a mission statement that calls on them not to nab just speeders, but also boneheads -- those whose driving practices endanger others, and those who just aren't paying enough attention as they blast along in the automobiles. Great idea. All of us have horror stories about the guy on his cell phone who weaved across several lanes and nearly sent us into the guardrail, or the woman, applying mascara, who scared the bejeezus out of us as we went with the morning traffic flow. | Well, here's one for ya: It was this past Wednesday, just before supper time, and | was heading home on a near- empty -highway after the day's work. Ahead of me was a small import of Japanese origin, which appeared to be weaving dangerously as it approached. The closer our vehicles came to passing one another, the more concerned | became. At the point at which we were about to meet, the import came veering across the centre line in my direction, sending me over to the shoulder in an attempt to avoid a messy head-on. As the car sped by | saw -- to my amazement -- a woman with a cell phone held to her ear. Across her steering wheel she had papers spread, and appeared to be taking notes. She looked up sheepishly as we passed one another, our meeting averted by my evasive action. Then sped off down the road, jerking and veering over the centre line and back. Imagine the police officer standing at the woman's door after a positive identification had been made with the help of dental records. "I'm sorry little girl, but Mommy won't be coming home tonight, or any other night. She was in a hurry." FAIR TO MIDDLIN': Don't look now, but the annual signs of summer's waning are upon us. That's right -- it's fair time. First up is the annual exposition in Blackstock, the weekend of Aug. 26. They've got plenty of new prize categories in the works, and it should be great. And for Labor Day weekend, the folks who bring you the Port Perry fair are busily planning. Mark your calenders now, and join in the fun. Random Jottings by J. Peter Hvidsten FILLING IN IS JUST A PART OF SUMMER For eight weeks each summer = | staff here at the Port Perry Star \ / i have to juggle jobs as their co- workers take well deserved summer holidays. It's a summer ritual that never changes, and almost every week during July and August, book- keepers become sales clerks, editors become pub- lishers, sales staff become ad managers, etc., fill- ing in the gaps created by holiday seekers. In many cases it's like two ships passing in the night. As editor Jeff Mitchell returned through the front door from his holiday last week, | was leaving by the back. And this week | returned to find Annabell Harrison has just left for her two week a Mh SY She aC oC NC ----------"--, holiday. This scenario goes on all summer with staff filling in wherever necessary. It's just one of the joys of summer! A SLICE OF PARADISE ~ Speaking of holidays, and I'll keep this brief... son Matt and | just returned from three days camping along the shores of Lake Temagami. The three day canoe trip with dads and sons, had been planned for many months and the experience was a positive one for everyone. The kids, and there were six of them, along with myself and two more brave dads, took off early Friday morning in two groups. Matt and | headed out in a 14" aluminum boat loaded down with provisions and camping gear in one direction, while the others set out in the opposite direction by canoe. Those traveling by canoe took the shorter, but more strenuous course, having to traverse two por- tages before reaching the point of rendezvous. Our trek, was three times the distance, but far less strenuous, although it wouldn't be hard to get lost in one of the long tenacle-like spokes of the huge lake. In fact, at one point | did find myself at the blind end the lake and was forced to do some back- tracking to find our next campsite... but that's an embarrassing story best left untold for now. The best part of this great holiday for the dads was watching the kids as they enjoyed all kinds of new experiences like... pitching tents... swimming in the cool water... paddling across mirror-like lakes... roasting marshmallows over open fires... listening to the lonely call of the loon... eating breakfast perched on a log... sleeping under the stars... catching frogs... chasing squirrels... watch- ing clouds float past a bright moon. .. climbing the rocky shores... and tramping through marshy bogs. Not once in the four days was there any mention of wanting to go home. There was no phone, no radio, no television, no electricity. We were in the wilderness, miles from any kind of civilization and it was like it didn't exist. And that's what made the trip so enjoyable. It motivated each of us, in our own way, to appreciate the simple pleasures of life, and provided a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.